Emergency service:

24 hour emergency call-outs

One number, answered by a person, day or night. If the power is off or something is burning, this is the page you want.

Call 0333 360 8583 Book an electrician

Part P registered Tested to BS 7671 60 minute target response

Electrician working by torchlight on a consumer unit

0333 360 8583Answered day and night

Home Services 24 hour emergency call-outs

In plain English

What counts as an electrical emergency

Not every electrical problem needs an electrician at midnight. These ones do:

A total loss of power to the property when the street still has supply
A burning or fishy smell, scorch marks, or heat coming from a socket, switch or fuse board
Any exposed live conductor, a broken accessory, or water reaching wiring or a consumer unit
An RCD or main switch that will not stay on, leaving you without light or heating
A shock or tingle from a tap, appliance or metal pipework

If you have had a shock, or you can see or smell burning, switch the circuit off at the fuse board first and call us from outside the room.

Call 0333 360 8583

Damaged socket outlet removed from the wall

Know when to call

The electrical emergencies we attend

Not every electrical problem needs an electrician tonight, and we will tell you honestly which yours is. These are the faults we treat as genuine emergencies, day or night.

Total loss of power

The whole property is dark while the street still has supply. Usually the main switch, the RCD, the meter tails or the supplier cut-out, and each needs a different answer.

Partial loss of power

Some circuits alive, others dead. Often a single tripped device that will not reset, a failed RCBO, or a broken neutral affecting part of the installation.

RCD, RCBO or MCB tripping

Protection that will not stay on is protection doing its job. Something is leaking to earth or drawing more current than the circuit allows, and it needs finding rather than resetting.

Burning smells or buzzing

A fishy or burning smell, crackling, or a buzz from an accessory or the board means arcing at a loose connection. This is the fault most likely to start a fire.

Melted or burnt sockets

Scorch marks, discolouration or a socket warm to the touch. The heat has already cooked the terminals, and the damage spreads until the connection is remade properly.

Water ingress and leaks

Water reaching wiring, accessories or the consumer unit. Nothing affected goes back into service until it has been dried and tested, whatever the plumber has already fixed.

Exposed or damaged cables

Cable pulled out of an accessory, damaged during other trades, or chewed by rodents. Anything with reachable live parts is isolated and made safe on arrival.

Faulty circuits and appliances

A circuit that trips whenever one appliance runs, or an appliance giving shocks. We separate the installation fault from the appliance fault so you are not replacing the wrong thing.

While you wait

What to do before we arrive

Five things that keep the situation from getting worse in the time it takes a van to reach you.

Isolate the affected circuit
Switch off the circuit at the consumer unit, or the main switch if you cannot identify it. If the board itself is hot or smells, leave it and keep clear.
Stop using anything suspect
A socket that has scorched or an appliance that has given a shock stays unplugged and unused, even if it still appears to work.
Check the street before assuming
If neighbours are dark too it is a network fault. Call 105 free and the distribution operator handles it at no cost to you.
Ventilate and stay out
If there is a smell of burning, open a window and keep the room clear. Never throw water at anything electrical.
Find a torch, not a candle
Phone torches are safer than candles in a dark house, especially with children or pets, and you will need one to read the fuse board when we ask.

What an emergency call-out includes

Call 0333 360 8583

A real conversation first

We talk you through making the installation safe before we set off, so nothing gets worse while you wait.

Made safe on the first visit

The priority is isolating the fault and getting the rest of the property back on, even if the full repair needs a return visit.

Test results, not guesses

Insulation resistance, earth fault loop and RCD timings measured with calibrated instruments and written down.

A price before we start

You get the call-out charge and the likely repair cost up front. No work goes ahead until you say yes.

Parts on the van

RCBOs, MCBs, accessories, cable and connectors so most faults are finished the same visit.

Paperwork that follows

A minor works or installation certificate for the repair, emailed within TO CONFIRM working days.

Built for the middle of the night

Most electrical firms do emergencies as a sideline. We are set up the other way round: the line is answered by a person at 3am, the vans carry the protective devices and accessories that fix most faults on the first visit, and the diary always keeps room for the job that cannot wait.

That is also why we are honest about urgency. If your fault can safely wait until morning, we say so, and you pay the daytime rate instead.

See call-out rates

Out of hours, priced up front

The night rate is quoted on the phone before a van moves. No work starts until you have said yes to a number.

How we charge

Isolate it, then leave it alone

Switch that circuit off at the board, or the main switch if you cannot identify it. Do not pull a hot plug out by hand, do not use the socket again, and open a window if the smell is strong. If you can see smoke or flame, call 999 first.

What causes scorching

The detail

Emergency electrics, explained properly

The more you understand about what is happening behind the fuse board, the better your decisions are at two in the morning. This is the detail we wish every caller already knew.

Why some faults cannot wait until morning

An arcing connection is the one that frightens electricians. Once a loose terminal starts to spark, the heat oxidises the copper, the oxide adds resistance, and the extra resistance makes more heat. The cycle only accelerates, and it is happening inside a wall or an enclosure where nobody can see it. That is why a burning smell gets a van at any hour.

A burning or fishy smell from any accessory or the fuse board
Anyone feeling a shock or tingle from an appliance, tap or pipework
Water reaching wiring, accessories or the consumer unit
Exposed live parts a child or pet could reach

The same urgency does not apply to a single dead socket or a lamp that will not light. Half of being good at emergency work is telling people honestly when it is not one.

Overheated connections inside a consumer unit under inspection

What is on the van, and why it matters

An emergency electrician without parts is just a diagnosis service. Our vans carry RCBOs and MCBs to suit the common board makes, a range of sockets, switches and pendants, cable, glands and connectors, plus a calibrated multifunction tester and fused test probes for safe live working.

The calibrated instrument matters more than the spares. Insulation resistance, earth fault loop impedance and RCD trip times are measurements, not opinions, and the certificate we leave behind records them. When the numbers are written down, the next person to open that board knows exactly what was found, fixed and proved.

It is the difference between a repair that is finished on the first visit and a fault that keeps a household waiting for parts a second night.

Test instruments and spare protective devices laid out for an emergency call-out

Step by step

What happens after you call

You call, we answer

The emergency line at 0333 360 8583 is answered around the clock. You speak to someone who can tell you what to switch off.

We make you safe over the phone

Isolate the circuit, keep away from the affected area, and open windows if there is a smell of burning.

An electrician is dispatched

You get a name and an arrival window. Our target in the core Sussex patch is 60 minutes for a total loss of power. TO CONFIRM

Fault traced and proved

We split the installation down circuit by circuit and test until the fault is located, rather than swapping parts and hoping.

Repaired and certified

The repair is completed, retested, and the results recorded on the certificate that follows by email.

24/7Emergency line answered day and night, including bank holidays

60 minTarget response for a total loss of power in Lewes and the core patch. TO CONFIRM

BS 7671Every circuit tested and certified to the 18th Edition wiring regulations

Part PRegistered for notifiable domestic work in England and Wales

First hand experience

Recent jobs we have completed

Real call-outs, described the way we record them: what was reported, what the testing showed, and what we did about it.

TO CONFIRM before launch: replace the examples below with real jobs of your own, and add a genuine photograph to each. Do not publish invented case studies.

TO CONFIRM: total loss of power

Reported: TO CONFIRM: what the customer reported when they called.

Testing: TO CONFIRM: what you measured and how you narrowed it down.

Outcome: TO CONFIRM: what you repaired, retested and certified.

TO CONFIRM: burnt socket outlet

Reported: TO CONFIRM: what the customer reported when they called.

Testing: TO CONFIRM: what you measured and how you narrowed it down.

Outcome: TO CONFIRM: what you repaired, retested and certified.

TO CONFIRM: RCD would not reset

Reported: TO CONFIRM: what the customer reported when they called.

Testing: TO CONFIRM: what you measured and how you narrowed it down.

Outcome: TO CONFIRM: what you repaired, retested and certified.

What it costs

How emergency charging works

The call-out covers travel and the first hour on site, which is where the diagnosis happens. Anything beyond that is agreed with you before it starts.

How emergency charging works
When you call	What it covers	From
Weekdays, 8am to 6pm	Call-out plus the first hour on site	£95
Evenings, 6pm to 10pm	Call-out plus the first hour on site	£140
Overnight, 10pm to 8am	Call-out plus the first hour on site	£180
Weekends and bank holidays	Call-out plus the first hour on site	£165
Additional time	Charged in half hour blocks after the first hour	£60/hr
Parts	Charged at cost, itemised on the invoice, agreed before fitting	Varies

TO CONFIRM: every figure above is indicative until you replace it with your own pricing. Prices exclude VAT unless stated.

Who does the work

Qualifications, registration and insurance

Every electrician attending an emergency is qualified to BS 7671, the 18th Edition of the wiring regulations, and carries a calibrated multifunction tester with in date certification. Domestic notifiable work is registered under Part P of the Building Regulations, so the compliance paperwork follows the job automatically.

Calibration matters more than it sounds. An instrument that has drifted gives readings that look convincing and prove nothing, which is why the calibration date is on the certificate alongside the results.

TO CONFIRM: add your scheme registration number, public liability cover and the name and qualifications of the electrician who reviewed this page. Only list credentials you can evidence.

Good to know

Questions we get asked

Straight answers to the things people ask before they book. Anything else, the phone is quicker than a form.

Do you charge more at night?

Out of hours work carries a higher call-out rate than a daytime booking. The rate is quoted before we set off, so there is never a surprise on the invoice. TO CONFIRM: set your daytime and out of hours rates on the prices page.

My whole street is dark. Should I call you?

No, that is a network fault. Call 105 free from any phone and your distribution network operator will handle it. We only charge for a visit if the fault turns out to be inside your property.

Can you work on a fuse board with no labelling?

Yes. Part of the job is proving which circuit is which and labelling the board properly before we leave.

Will you work in a commercial unit or a shop?

Yes. Small commercial, offices, salons and retail units are all handled from the same emergency line.

What if the repair needs parts you do not carry?

We make the installation safe, get the unaffected circuits back on, and book the return visit before we leave.

I felt a tingle from a tap or an appliance. Is that an emergency?

Yes, treat it as one. A tingle means current is finding a path to earth through metalwork it should never reach, and the next person to touch it may get more than a tingle. Stop using the appliance or tap, isolate the circuit if you can do so safely, and call us. This is one symptom we never book in for next week.

Should I switch everything off before you arrive?

If there is a smell of burning, scorching or any shock, switch off at the main switch if the board itself looks and smells normal. If the board is warm, discoloured or smells hot, do not touch it: leave the property switched on, keep clear, and tell us on the phone so we arrive ready. For a simple loss of power, leave things as they are so the evidence is intact.

Do you attend flats with shared or communal supplies?

Yes. We isolate and repair everything on your side of the meter. Faults on the communal intake, lateral mains or the landlord supply belong to the freeholder or the network operator, and we will tell you the moment testing shows the fault is on their side, so you are not paying us to stand in a cupboard we cannot legally work in.